Three storylines to watch as UNC returns to action at Georgia Tech

North Carolina will take on Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon. Here are some things to pay attention to.

No. 16 North Carolina will take on Georgia Tech on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET after nearly a week off following an 85-80 victory over then-No. 14 Virginia in Charlottesville.

Here are some storylines to consider heading into the game.

Which Carolina will we get on Saturday?

North Carolina has been consistently inconsistent this season, and really, it’s been that way throughout Hubert Davis’ tenure in Chapel Hill.

Will we see the UNC team that soundly defeated Notre Dame and took over in the second half against Virginia last week, or will we see the one that ranked last in scoring defense and allowed 72 3-pointers — an average of 14.4 made 3s per game — in its first five ACC games?

Role players’ continued improvement

Another storyline to follow is the continued improvement of several role players who have come on recently.

Derek Dixon has been averaging 12 points and four assists on 46.4% shooting from the field and a blistering 56.2% from 3-point range since he earned his first start against Cal on Jan. 17. In UNC’s upset win over Virginia, he finished with 11 points and a season-high seven assists, with eight of those points and six of those assists coming after halftime. His plus-minus has climbed in each start: plus-5 vs. Cal, plus-17 vs. Notre Dame and plus-22 vs. Virginia.

Luka Bogavac has also settled into his role. After going 2-for-13 from the field in UNC’s first three ACC games and scoring just eight points in that span, he has rediscovered his touch since moving to the bench. Over the last four ACC games, he is averaging 10.7 points and 3.0 rebounds on 43.3% shooting overall and 35.2% from 3. He scored 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting and 3-for-5 from deep in his last outing.

Jarin Stevenson has exploded over the last two games, scoring 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 2-for-4 from 3 against Virginia, then adding eight points, five rebounds and strong defense off the bench against Notre Dame.

Hometown Hero

Caleb Wilson is back in his hometown of Atlanta for the second time this season. The last time Wilson played in Atlanta, he recorded a double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds along with three blocks.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.